Automatic reflector for locomotives.



,6'79. PATENTED APR; 21, 1908. .N. A. TERR'ELL. v. AUTOMATIO REFLECTORFOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1907- Z-BHEETS-SHEET 1.

Sum/u or Witnesses No. 885,679. PATENTED APR.21,19O8'.

N. -A. TERRBLL. I

I AUTOMATIC REFLECTOR FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

PPLIOAI'ION FILED MAY 0 A 14 19 7 2 SHEETS'-SHEET 2.

I RELLfa citizen of C arlo ttesvill e, Virginia, residing atCharlottesville, in the county of In Automatic Reflectors 'forLocomotives, and 11 do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention,

which It appertains-to makeand use thesame, reference being had tothe'accompany- I ithe road-bed in-front of the locomotive at that theroad-bed 'on'turns andcurves is'at 1t1ons.

umversal'use a strong beam of light is promotive for a consIderabIedistance ah'ea'd -struction and arrangement of parts which I of partswhich holds the l1ght stea I Wit out a swaying or wabbling'motldn, and

NATHANIEL A. TERRELL, or CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALFTo JOHN RAINEIS; on. CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA.

'aoroimric nnrtnron FOB; I'LOGIIOMOTIIVESL No.885,679. v. a VSpecifiationoi Letterslta'tent. g Patented April 21,1908. Applicationminimum." sent: No. 373,698.

I tion for centering thelight on the road bed' when t e said road-bed isstraight, and for preventing a wabbling movement of the ray of lightoccasioned by the motion of tlie' 1000- vmotive. mprovements bemarle andState of Vir inia, have :in- V'ented certain new and useful I ize theforces ofigravityand depend" upon I the banking ofthe tracks at'curves01' turns in grder to cause the light to follow the road such as willenable others skilled in thejart'to e Figure 1 1s a vertical lon'itudinal vsection taken through-' the headlig t and reflector showingthe operating parts in side elevation. FigfZ is afhorizontal sectionalviewthrou'gh the headlight showing the reflector and operating parts intop lan. Fig. 3 is 'a frontvelevation 'of the head ight and reflector.Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the operating parts of, theadevice; the uper (plate andpendulum (l an ing'drawing's, and to the letters andfigures of re e'rence marked thereon, which form 'a part ofthis-specification. a j I I y invention relates to headlights for 1000-motives and has for its object to rovide a headlight which automaticaly, follow curves or turns in. the road, in such manner. post beingremove 'Fig. 5 1s a rear ele all tlmes lighted tothe same extent asastraight road bed under usual existing co n-, I h I I I I t thelocomotive hits the bank at the c urveor With-the usualexistingheadlights noW in' turn." n I j I I v I *Like numerals of referenceindicate the same parts throughout the several figures in -which; a 1indicates the headlight, box 2, the front glass 3,-refle'ct,or 4, thelamp which is prefer I I ably electric and 5 the operating mechanism;said mechanism 5 co1nprises-an an le base 6 I having thepvertical'oil-tion, 7, t e" upper horizontal plate '8 an the lower horizontalplate 9,-sa1d horizontal 1plate 9. being=pro= vided with a series of be1; holes 10: (Fig; 5) for' securing the plate 9 to the botto n'll of Ithe headlight box 1,- I arried onthe upper platej are; prefer-g ablvfour square posts l2 having threaded jec-ted on the road-bed in front 0the 1000- i when the road -bed is straight. I Wh II ever, a locomotivetakes a turn or curve the: beam of light from the headlight is projectedtangential y to thecurve in such manner that the road-bed directly;ahead is-riot'li'ghted and obstructions br-anything on the tracksdirectly in the'icourse of the train cannot be seen by the engineer.Several devices have been constructed for the purpose of lighting theroad bedin'frofit' o t e locomotives at curves and turns, audit is {mypin pose to so construct an automatic head ig t that it will be positivein its action and so arranged that the beam of light rojected will be assteady as thatprojecte by the usual stationary headlight as nowinuniversal use. I t I I I ,i

My invention consists in thenovel con- 14 as shownin Figs. 1 and 5.-Formed on pent ulum arm 16 being ivoted in a yoke 17 secured to theendr18 o' the pendulum post 1 5 as clearly shown iniFig. 1. I I I IIQjindicatesthe pendulum, which'asshown U in Fig; 5, is provided withtwo radial opemngs- I 20in, the periphery thereof each to receive a-Icoil"spring 21 carried on a pinor bolt 22., each of said pins or bolts22- secured in posi- 105 tion bytvm-eans of It bracket 23 as Iclearly.

provides for allowing. the light comingv from? the headlight to followthe curves or turns in the road-bed and my invention also consists.- inthe novel constru'ctionand arran eme'nt i y and I I shown. Said pins ofbolts 22 are threaded my invention also consists in the construc- Intheemployment of my invention I- util- 60 Re ferring to the acc'o "panyi'ngdrawingszto ends 13 to receivethepe ndulum post-plate 'the latejl l isthe pendulum post 15, the," Y I throughfthe arm of the bracket 23, and Iare provided each with a lock nut 25 and a light to prevent rattling.

'- .biiurcate' arm 29 of the toothed segment stationary flange 26against which the outer ends of the. coil springs 21 engage.

Referring to Figs. 1 and l it will be seen that an angle guide plate, 2?is provided on the plate-9 ,oithe anglebase 6, said guide plate 27extending upwardly behind the pendulum 19 in order to (prevent anylongitudinal movement of sai, pendulum and to insure proper position ofthe same. Journaled between the upper plate 8 and the pendulum postplate 14 is a toothed segment '28 having a-biiurcatedarm 29 forming alever, said segment 28 being provided with a series ofjteeth 30 inengagement with a toothed segment 31 also journaled between the lates 8and 14. The post or journal 32 of t ev segment 31 is formed preferablyreflector bracket 33 isa concaved spring 35,

said s ring being arranged as shown 1n order who d the toothed segment31 and head- Secured preferabl to the aftenpost 13 arranged between t eplates Sand 14 are two leaf s rings 36. in-engagement with the 28,'saidsegment bein bifurcated as above described to receive t e pendulum arm.16

. the base or bottom of the head ing a-central projection 38 forinterlocking as clearly shown in Fig.4.

Referring to Figs. 1. and 3 it will be seen that a spring 37 is providedpreferably on ght box havengagement with the centralde'pression 39 inthe forward bottom edge of the reflector 3.

Having thus fully described theseveral parts of my -invention itsoperation is as fol" ows: A headlight being arranged and assembled asshown in Fig. 1 the s 37 locomotive hits a bank in the track in taking astead (Fig. 3) holds the reflector 3 central y within the headlightboxand the reflector maintains this-position as long as the locomotivecontinuesto travel on straight tracks, this arrangement. preventing anylateral or ver- 55.

tieal movement-of the reflector and insuring beam of light projectedstraight ahead own the road-bed. As soon as the a'cu'r ve or bend the Vendulum 19 swings into pos1t1on shown in ig. 5, which movement ofthependulum is communicated to the reflector 3 through the medium of thetoothed segments 28 and'81, said reflector 3 taking the position shownin dotted lines in Fig.2, thereby causing the beam of light to beproclearer view of the engineer. locomotive leaves the bank rails thepcndussaeve jected in adirection of the curve or bend of the road-wayilluminating the same and bringing the curve of the road-way imo As soonas the lum assumes llLSIlOlIllfil position moving the reflectorintoposition shown in full lines in Fig. 2 allowing the spring 37 toagain engage the depression 39 in the reflector again centering thereflector Within the headlight box. I

In order to adjust the pendulum to alter the swing thereofso as to causethe reflector to move properly the coil springs ll can be given more orless threaded pin or bolts 22. Threading the bolts 22 into thebracket-increases the tension; unthreading the bolts diminishes thetension and allows the pendulum to operate at a less inclinations Theleaf springs 36 in engagement with the toothed segment assists incentering the toothed segment 28; while the spring 37 in engagement withthe reflector insures the reflector from any horitension by means of thezontal or wabbling motion while the locomotive is traveling on; astraight track; By reason of this construction the reflector can be madeto project the light upon the track irrespective of the extent ofbanking of: the track, and of the inclination of the locomotive.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a headlight for locomotives, the com bination of a reflector, apendulum associated withsaid reflector, intermediate mechanism forcommunicating movement of said pen-rim lum to said reflector, saidreflector being provided with a depression near the edge thereof, asiting having a projection thereof for l]1l; .5'i- 'ng engagement withsaid depression for holding said reflector in a centered position afterit is centered by the said pendulum, substantially as described.

2. Ina headlight {or locomotives, the combination of a reflector, apendulum associated therewith, intermediate mechanism for communicatingmovement of said pendulum to said reflector, a spring having meansthereon for interlocking engagement with said reticetor for holding saidreflector in a centered position after it has been centered by saidpendulum, substantiall as described.

3. Inaheadlight for ocomotives, the combination of a reflector, apendulum esso -iated therewith, intermediatemechanism For communicatingmovement of said pendulum. to said reflector, said pendulum beingprovided with radial cavities therein, a coil spring in each of saidradial cavities, and means for increasing or diminishin the tension ofsaid springs,substantially as described.

' 4. In aheadlight for locon'ioti res, the C051! bination of areflector,a pendulum. l11l(l']2!d- LOG means for normallycentering diate mechanismfor ment of said pendulum to said reflector, means for normallycentering said reflector, and resilient means associated With said"pendulnm for altering the swing of said pendulum and for causing thesame tofswing more freely to one side than to the other, substan tiallyas described. j

5 In a headlight for locomotives, the combination of a reflector, apendulum, intermediate mechanism for communicating movement of saidpendulum to said reflector, said reflector, and means associated Withsaid pendulum for altering the swing of said pendulum upon inclinationof the locomotive at the curves in the track and for causing thereflector to project the light on the track irrespective of the extentof inclination of the locomotive, substantially as describecommunicating move- 6. 'In a headlight for locomotives, the combinationof a reflector, a pendulum associated therewith, intermediate mechanismbetween said pendulum and said reflector for communicating movement ofsaidpendulum'to said reflector, said intermediate mechanism for saidbracket, and a s ring arranged under and in engagement Wit'i saidbracket, said i spring ha ing a normal tendency to force'sald bracketupwardly in such manner that the parts are held against rattling,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I a'l'fix my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

' NATHANIEL A. TER'RELL.

Witnesses:

A. P. 13133, i J. TYLER JAoKso l l comprising a bracket for saidreflector, a post I I I! l

